1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for setting decorative tiles with uniform grout lines and joints. More particularly, it relates to a tile spacer for efficiently setting a plurality of large decorative floor tiles a uniform, consistent width from adjacent tiles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Anyone who has ever installed tile products understands the aggravation with adjusting tiles, especially floor tiles, during installation, to maintain uniform grout lines and joints. The spacing between each piece allows for the eventual placement of grout there between. Known plastic spacers can be set to aid in this process, but they must be moved individually when the next piece is to be installed. This causes an installer to juggle tiles and spacers leading to frustration, lost spacers, broken tile and irretrievable time. While these problems are difficult for the professional tile setter, they pose almost insurmountable problems for the do-it-yourself homeowner.
There remains a long felt need for a simple, lightweight device that takes little storage space when not in use, is highly reusable, easy to manipulate and otherwise overcomes known problems for establishing consistent spacing when setting floor tiles. The development of the present apparatus fulfills this need to assist in the placement of decorative tiles while maintaining uniform grout lines between.
The following references are deemed noteworthy: Claxton U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,049 showed an adjustable tile apparatus with X, T or L-shaped bottom spacers. A ceramic tile spacing gauge and tile holder is the subject of Smith U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,783, Armstrong U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,490 and Fortin U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,723. Bovino et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,455 discloses a tile-squaring device having a distance rod, angle head and squaring means for connecting the angle head to the distance rod at a right angle to the rod. Kingston et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,309 describes an adjustable template for positioning tiles of various sizes and Schell U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,674 discloses an implement for laying square tile using a generally rectangular plate with a pair of spaced apart straight edges.
Consequently, a need exists for providing a device that assists with setting floor tiles (from about 4 to 24 inches wide) with ease and consistency for subsequent grouting there between. The device/apparatus should be made available in a variety of “sizes” or gap thicknesses. Alternately, one handle for this device/apparatus can be fitted with multiple size/shape gap spacers through easy connects/disconnects.